Two Years Ago, Maria Packed Her Bags and Moved to the Netherlands
What started as one of the boldest decisions of her life became a turning point. Two years after leaving Portugal, Maria reflects on moving abroad, finding her place in a new country and the lessons she wishes she had known from the beginning.
Two years ago, Maria made one of the boldest decisions of her life. She packed her bags, left her family behind and moved from Portugal to the Netherlands.
Moving to a new country is exciting. New people, a new culture and new opportunities are waiting for you. But behind that excitement, there is also uncertainty. Leaving your home country — even when you stay within Europe — means stepping away from the routines, people and places that have always felt familiar.
For Maria, it meant leaving her comfort zone behind.
“It wasn't easy. Leaving my home country meant leaving my comfort zone, my routines and everything I had always known. But sometimes, the greatest opportunities arise exactly in those moments.”
What followed was more than simply moving from one country to another. It became a period of personal and professional growth that would completely change the way she saw herself and the opportunities around her.
A new country, and a new version of herself
Maria describes feeling a difference from the moment she started building her life in the Netherlands. Not only in the environment around her, but also within herself.
New challenges became new skills. Unfamiliar situations forced her to adapt. Opportunities that once might have felt intimidating became opportunities to grow.
“From the very first steps I took, I could feel that something was different — not just around me, but within me.”
Over the next two years, her life changed in ways she could not have fully predicted when she first packed her bags in Portugal.
The Dutch work culture and the mindset of the people around her gave her a new perspective on challenges. Instead of seeing the unknown only as something intimidating, she began to see it as a possible new adventure.
“Every opportunity allowed me to grow, adapt and discover a better version of myself.”
But adapting to a new country does not happen overnight. Looking back on her own experience, Maria has learned several lessons she believes could help other international students starting the same journey.
1. Say yes to opportunities
One of Maria's biggest pieces of advice is simple: say yes.
Say yes to joining a student association. Say yes to university activities. Go on that trip organised by your university or your friends. Attend an event even when you do not know anyone there yet.
Moving abroad can make it tempting to stay close to what feels safe and familiar. But many of the people, experiences and opportunities that eventually make a new place feel like home begin with the decision to show up.
You do not have to say yes to everything. But stepping outside your comfort zone can create connections you would never have found otherwise.
For Maria, those experiences became part of building a new life rather than simply studying in another country.
2. Use the opportunities that come with being a student
Living in a new country also means learning how everyday life works. Some of the most useful opportunities can be surprisingly practical.
Maria recommends making use of the discounts and benefits available to students, whether for transportation, museums, gyms or other activities.
These things might seem small, but they can make it easier to explore your new surroundings. Visit a city you have never seen before. Go to a museum. Try a new activity.
Being an international student is not only about what happens inside the university.
The city and region around you are part of the experience too.
3. Give yourself time to adapt
The first few weeks in a new country can feel overwhelming.
Suddenly, even simple things can require thought. How does transportation work? Where do you need to register? How do you meet people? What happens if you do not understand something?
Maria's advice is to give yourself time.
“You don't need to have everything figured out in the first week.”
Things that seem complicated today may eventually become an ordinary part of your routine. What feels unfamiliar now might feel completely normal a few months from now.
Settling into a new environment is a process.
There is no deadline for feeling at home.
4. Enjoy the journey — including the difficult parts
Two years can feel like a long time when you have just arrived.
Looking back, it can suddenly feel incredibly short.
Maria encourages international students to appreciate the experience while they are living it, because time often moves faster than expected.
But enjoying the journey does not mean pretending that every moment is perfect.
“It's okay not to enjoy every moment.”
Some days will be difficult. Some experiences will not go the way you expected. There may be moments when you miss home, question your decisions or simply feel tired of having to adapt.
Those moments are part of the journey too.
According to Maria, even the experiences that are not enjoyable can contribute to your growth. They can teach you something about yourself, make you more independent and eventually make you stronger.
5. Don't take everything too seriously
University can quickly become focused on deadlines, grades and group projects.
But Maria believes some of those experiences are also where meaningful relationships are formed.
Enjoy the group projects — even the chaotic ones. Talk to your classmates. Allow things not to be perfect.
The people around you can eventually become much more than just the people you study with.
“You'll find a second family, so don't expect everything to be perfect. That's normal.”
Building meaningful connections takes time. Friendships are not always perfect, and neither is the experience of living abroad.
That is part of what makes it real.
More than a move on a map
When Maria looks back at the decision she made two years ago, she no longer sees it simply as moving from Portugal to the Netherlands.
She sees a turning point.
A decision that brought new challenges, but also new skills. New environments, but also new strengths. A new country, but also a different perspective on herself.
“Looking back, I don't just see a move on a map. I see a turning point. And every single day, that choice proves itself right.”
Moving to another country can be overwhelming. There is no perfect roadmap for adapting to a new culture, finding your people or creating a life that feels like your own.
But perhaps finding your place does not happen all at once.
Perhaps it happens through the opportunities you say yes to. The people you meet. The difficult moments you learn from. The routines that slowly become familiar.
And one day, you look back and realise that the place that once felt completely new has become part of your story.
At NEXT.FRL, we believe stories like Maria's can help others find their place, their community and their opportunities in the North.
What's one piece of advice you would give to someone moving to a new country?
